Visit
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Rumple as Regina's father. Zelena gives Rumple one hour to visit Regina in hospital after the fight in 3x16 (I feel like she would have been more injured after hitting that car).


_This is a oneshot that popped into my head. AU - Rumple as Regina's father. I still feel like Regina would be more banged up after crashing into that car in 3x16. Basically Zelena gives Rumple one hour to visit her in hospital. Apologies for any mistakes. I hope you like it :) _

In the dark of his cell Rumple rests his head in his hands. It's been two hours. Two agonising excruciating hours of wondering. He wishes for his foresight to return to him but under her control it just will not come. He knows that's her doing and that she wants to keep him in uncertainty. After all if you why fear the question if you know the answer?

For a few days he didn't want his power. For a while he liked the idea of uncertainty. Back when he had Belle, Neal, Regina and Henry he didn't need it. He had a family around him and that was enough. With them to keep him grounded he didn't even need to question his future because he didn't want to know. He was looking forward to being surprised by their future.

Now he wishes he had looked. He wishes he could have saved them all from this.

There's a lot of things he wishes he could change.

Neal is gone. His son who he searched for for so long is dead. Neal tried to save him and in doing so lost his life. He sacrificed himself so his father could live. For his son he was more than enough. He was worth saving to his family. That should make him happy but given the cost he finds it hard to see the bright side.

He wishes he had had more time. More time to spend with Neal and a chance to get to know his son now he was grown. There was so much wasted time. So much time when they could have been together. Now he cherishes the moments they spent together all the more because they are all he'll ever have.

Belle is out there at risk and he cannot save her. He can do nothing to protect her but stay away from her. He yearns to break free and see her. Hold her one last time. Kiss her. Tell her he loves her and to thank her for showing him who he could be. He wishes he could do those things but he knows Zelena's jealousy. He knows how she'll use Belle to hurt him all the more. He can't bear the thought of putting her in any more danger.

His grandson still has no idea who he is. He wonders if he'll even get the chance to meet Henry before it's too late. He knows Zelena will want to make him watch as she destroys everything. Or use him to make it all happen. Rumple's greatest fear right now is that he could be the instrument she uses to kill the people he loves most. Neal never got the chance to see his son again. Rumple suffered the same fate with Neal.

As for Regina he has no idea how she is.

It's been two hours since her fight with Zelena. Two hours since he had to watch as Zelena threw his daughter into that goddamn car. Two hours since seeing her body crumple into the Miata and not move. He doesn't even know if she's alive.

He prays she still is.

The only comfort he can draw is that her heart is safe. He doesn't know where she hid it but that could be for the best. If he knows Zelena will make him tell.

He's caused his daughter enough pain and suffering in the past. He doesn't want to be the reason she doesn't exist.

_Please let her be alive _he wishes closing his eyes tight. She needs to live. He cannot lose her too. There's still so much he needs to say to her, so much he wanted for them both. He's missed so many chances with his son. The thought that the same could happen with his daughter only doubles his heartache.

He hears the creek of the cellar door announcing Zelena's arrival. He turns away not in the mood for her glancing and parading of her power. After he rejected her in favour of Regina she's making the best of showing off for him, of trying to convince him he made a mistake.

He already knows that.

As much as it pains him to admit it, he still would have taught Regina magic because without it, he knows she would not have survived in that castle. He would have gone about it differently but he still would not have picked Zelena. At the time his reason was motivated by her power. Now his reason is that he sees the life his daughter has now and without magic she would not have that. She would have crumbled in hate and despair.

"Hello Rumple. Brooding are we?" Zelena asks twirling his dagger as if it were a mere toy.

"What do you want dearie?" he asks in no mood for her games today.

"Oh I've come to give you a gift"

He raises a brow sceptically, "What makes you think I want anything from you?"

"Is that anyway to talk to someone who holds your daughter's fate in her hands?"

"What are you going to do to her?"

She laughs, "Look into the future Rumple. You know you can do it and you know what I'm going to do. But this isn't about that. I know you're still all down in the dumps about how you couldn't see your son before his oh so tragic passing. So I figured I would offer you the chance to visit your daughter, while you still can."

"Why would you do that?"

"Call it a rare moment of generosity. Besides it won't matter. You can't save her. No-one can. Once you get her heart for me there'll be no stopping me."

"I would never give you her heart."

She cackles again, "As if you have a choice Rumple. Now listen up. I will give you an hour with Regina. No escape attempts. No trying to warn her. If you do I'll bring her death forward and I'll make sure you're the one to do it. One hour Rumple. I'd use it wisely if I were you. You'll never have another chance." She grins wickedly before surrounding him in a cloud of smoke.

He blinks before the smoke disappears and he sees where he is. He lets his eyes adjust to the cold blank white of the hospital. It's so unlike the darkness he's used to that it hurts. It doesn't hurt anywhere near as much as what lies in the hospital room.

Regina lies still on the hospital bed. There is no beep of the heart monitor because only she can say where it's hidden. He can see a fresh bandage on her forehead from where she hit the windscreen. There's a cast on her arm too. He walks around the bed reading the notes there seeing that she had to have surgery to repair internal bleeding. He reads about complications due to her lack of a heart.

_Oh god. I nearly lost her too. _

He reads the notes three times over knowing how close she came to death. He can tell that this will not be an easy recovery and he won't be there to help. He won't be there because he's being kept as a ticking time bomb whilst Zelena waits for her to get well enough so she can strike her down again.

"I'm so sorry Regina" he says quietly as he takes her limp hand in his own. He only gets an hour. One measly hour with a daughter he cannot save. "I'm so sorry" he repeats wishing with all his heart that he could break free permanently and protect her in a way he's never done before. He never took the chance to.

He leans over to kiss her forehead as he brushes some hair away. He has to trust the Charmings to take care of her while he cannot. He prays that they can. He's glad she has people to surround and support her now. He dreads the thought of her being alone in this fight. Standing in the town square tonight he saw that she was truly a part of their family. Since finding out she was his daughter when Cora came to town all he's wanted is a chance to be part of her family and for her to be happy. If he can't do that then at the very least he's glad she found family

"I love you and I'm so sorry I can't save you" he says. The words don't feel like enough. They aren't because they cannot ensure her survival. They cannot protect her from Zelena. He can't even protect Regina's heart because then Zelena will know and make him do the unthinkable.

He sits down beside her. Zelena called this a gift but it feels like a torture. All he has is one hour. One hour before what might be the end and he feels so helpless. He can do nothing to save her or her family. There's no time to get her away to safety. There's no time to protect her or shield her from ensuing danger. There's no time for another apology for the secret he kept on Cora's behalf. There's so much wasted time. It always seems to be this way. He found Neal too late. He found out about Regina too late. They never had a chance and at the moment he doesn't think they ever will. All he can do is cling to the hope that Zelena doesn't succeed. All he can do is hope that this is not their last hour.

"Hey" she mutters and he looks up startled. Tears fill his eyes and he smiles, "Hey. How you feeling?"

She musters up a weak smile, "I've had worse. How are you here?"

His smile falls, "She gave me an hour to see you," he pauses before adding the next part afraid that Zelena will see it as a warning and punish Regina for it, "Before it was too late."

She frowns, "I won't let her defeat me. I protected my heart."

"I know," he says, "Promise me something. Please just be careful. I can't help you Regina. I know I haven't really done in the past but now I want to and all I can do is watch. Please don't make me watch her kill you."

She opens her mouth to reply before stopping herself. Instead she nods, "I promise. You still can't escape?"

"Not yet. I'm working on it."

This time she's the one who looks pleading and desperate, "Work faster."

"I'm trying."

She nods and winces before turning to face him, "We only have an hour."

"Less now," he replies sadly.

"I need to ask you something."

"Anything."

"You knew about Zelena, why didn't you tell me?"

Rumple sighs, "I wanted to but I couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because of your mother. I wanted to tell you when I found out you were my daughter. I wanted so badly to tell you. Cora however was very good at keeping her secrets hidden. She knew her magic well. I made her promise not to kill you. In exchange she made me promise not to tell you about Zelena. We signed the contract it in blood and magic. Even after her death I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry Regina. I wish for once I could have a secret to tell you that didn't bring you so much pain."

She smiles bitterly, "Me too. It seems this is our way."

He nods knowing exactly what she means. "Maybe in the future it won't be," he says hopefully. He needs to believe there will be a future and one with his daughter in it.

"I'd like that," she replies. They both need this. Even though they know the grave reality of their situation they need this moment where they can hope. If nothing else they can have that. "I have another question."

"Okay."

"Do you think had she lived she would have told me? She may not have loved me but I always believed I had a spot in her heart. Clearly I was wrong because there was another and I didn't matter enough to be told. Do you think she would have told me?"

Rumple chews his lip because he doesn't know. He honestly has no idea whether Cora would have told the truth. He knows what his daughter needs to hear, "Yes."

"You're lying" she says with a sad smile. "Thank you."

"I know you want to think she did but honestly I don't know. All I know is that at the end, in that last moment she did love you."

At that she smiles, "One moment. I had one moment of love and that's what Zelena is jealous of. What must her life have been like that she's jealous of the life I had?"

"I don't know. Only she knows. I think she has some idea of what she imagines your life to be. She's imagining power and everything she wanted. You had Cora. You had me. You were queen. She thinks she knows what that's like to have. She doesn't. Your life was not something to be envied and I'm sorry that part of that was my fault."

"I know you are. It got me to what I have now. It was awful but I have my son" she frowns sadly knowing that right now she doesn't, "Well he's here and one day he'll remember. I have Henry and I have a family. I have what I wanted all those years ago."

"I'm glad. I hope you get to keep it."

"Me too" she replies before reaching for his hand. "I love you."

He smiles with watery eyes knowing their time is running out, "I love you too." He kisses her forehead once more, "I hope this isn't our last hour."

"Me too. I-please be careful."

"You too," he replies feeling the smoke beginning to swirl around him. "I love you" he says again before he reappears in the cold darkness of the cell.

_Thanks for reading :) _


End file.
